Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-05

made them reckless They no longer she
tered themselves, but seemed to vie with eae
other in making targets Of themselves.
Uncle Peters shotgun was loaded wit
buckshot, and, after he had watched the rex
skins until he believed he had q fair shot, b
blaaed away, having . barrel for each, an
both fell to the ground. One died almost II
stantly, but the other kicked occasionally fo
half an hour. Their fall was greeted with
chorus Of yeils, and tho Indians ceased firin
and gathered together in council. If tier
was q weak point in the situation they mean
to find it. After the roof had been covere
with dirt and the cabin loopholed Uncle Pete
realized that he was far from safe. Their
were points not covered by the loopholes
and there were more loopholes than de
Tenders II they were determined TO burr
him out they could do it. It was sundow1
before the redskins made another move
Then they opened fire again, but concentrated
1t on one end and one side Of the house, ant
as the shadows Of evening came they creep
much nearer, and occasionally uttered
whoop Of exultation. My uncle reasoned
and quite correctly, that the savages preferred
him alive to dead, and would risk something
to make him a prisoner. If they set fire t.
the cabin it would be in hopes to drive Out
resort to this expedient until they had failed
in other things. They were more likely to
try . battering ram on the door as the first
move. This door had been made of inch
plank, hung on very heavy hinges, and was
defended by two bars, but; Of course, it could
be crushed in if tho Indians brought a log
into play and their proceedings were not in
terfsred with. There WA a loophole on each
side Of the door, and Nixon took one, armed
with the shot gun, and his wife took the
other, having the revolver. No attention
was paid to Any other point.
It was not . moonlight night, but there
was sufficient light to ses stumps forty feet
away, and no Indian could approach the
door without being seem When night had
fully settled down, ten or twelve Indians,
who carried the trunk Of d small tree for q
battering ram, boldly approached the door.
II they knew Of the loopholes on that side,
they must have argued that the attack on
tho other would keep the two defenders
busy. They exhibited perfect confidence in
their approach, and were giving the log a
pendulum motion to make ready for the
blow when Uncle Peter and his wife opened
fire. The reports Of the firearms were fol-
by screams and yells and groans,
and tho log was dropped and the redskins
aed to cover. One or two erawled away on
hands and knees, proving that they were
wounded, while n lay stretched in death.
The fire of the Indians about tho house now
ceased entirely, and all drew of for another
:ouncil. Uncle Peter felt pretty certain what
he decision would be. They would not care
% waste further time in seeking to make him
though It would have delighted
hem to torture him in revenge for their losses.
ae instructed his wife to remove their valu-
'bles to the chamber he had dug out, and she
lad not yet completed this work, when he
Ieard three different parties of Indians at
york around the house. As near Is he could +
make out they were piiling brush against the /
ogs, but at such points a. could not be
cached by bullets from the loopholes. After |
quarter Of an hour he had proof that his |
were correct. The darkness began !
D light up as three separate fires were
and there was n o longer any question |
nat they meant to roast the defenders out.
hey yelled and screamed as the flames grew
and stationed themselves to cover
10 door and windows with their fire. The
- bad been cut two years, but were not
thoroughly seasoned and burned slowly.
bile the earth on the roof kept the flames
ON the shingles. 1t was nearly half an hour
the heat became dangerous, and then
were made to retreat to the
liar: After Mrs. Nixon had descended, my
1cle pulled all the furniture into the center
the room, set fire to his straw bed, and as
passed through the trap he fastened it
ON below. The Indians would expect the
9 to drive the pair out, and when it failed
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